Biomphalaria pfeifferi is a species of air-breathing freshwater snail, an aquatic animal pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Planorbidae, the ram's horn snails.
This snail is a medically important pest, because of transferring the disease schistosomiasis.
Distribution Biomphalaria pfeifferi is an African species. It has recently expanded its native range to the Arabian Peninsula and Madagascar.
Distribution of Biomphalaria pfeifferi include: Western Africa: Senegal Eastern Africa: Kenya Southern Africa: Botswana and South Africa.
The type locality is in Umgeni Valley, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (in the times of the description it was the British Colony of Natal).
Phylogeny A cladogram showing phylogenic relations of species in the genus Biomphalaria:
Mating system
B. pfeifferi is hermaphroditic, and genetic analyses performed both at the family and population levels indicate high self-fertilization rates. However, B. pfeifferi exhibits only a low level of inbreeding depression.
Ecology Biomphalaria pfeifferi can survive up to 16 hours in anaerobic water using lactic acid fermentation. PDF
In Kenya, B. pfeifferi is positively associated with the common blue water-lily Nymphaea caerulea (the two species occur together).
Parasites Parasites of Biomphalaria pfeifferi include the following 11 species found in Tanzania: Schistosoma mansoni undescribed clinostomatid two species undescribed strigea Cercaria porteri Cercaria blukwa two species of undescribed echinostome Cercaria lileta Cercaria obscurior Cercaria bulla
Control In Kenya, releasing the edible American crayfish Procambarus clarkii as an introduced species has helped eliminate the mollusc, which it feeds on, as well as provided a new source of food and income, but may also be impacting the environment by reducing the amount of native aquatic plants.
The seeds of the tree Balanites aegyptiaca have a molluscicide effect on Biomphalaria pfeifferi.
Substance Route LC50 Reference Powder of crude kernels of Balanites aegyptiaca immersion(?) 60 ppm Acetone extract of powder of the kernels of Balanites aegyptiaca immersion(?) 172,40 ppm Ethanol extract of the powder of kernels of Balanites aegyptiaca immersion(?) 84,15 ppm
Ethanolic extract of the fruits of Dalbergia sissoo (family Leguminosae) exhibited molluscicidal effect against eggs of Biomphalaria pfeifferi.
References
Further reading